Various machines, such as, but not limited to, trucks operating on worksites, often utilize positioning systems to track movement and/or positioning of the machines during machine operations. One or more sensors or position-tracking devices may be located on, or proximate to, the machine and may gather positioning data associated with the machine. Such data may be transmitted to a controller and the controller may then execute one or more applications for processing the data received from the sensors or position-tracking devices to generate positioning information associated with the machine.
Inertial measuring units (commonly abbreviated as “IMUs”) are commonly used as position-tracking devices for machines. An IMU is, generally, an electronic device that measures positional characteristics (e.g., forces, speeds, angular rates, and the like) of an associated object (e.g., a machine) by utilizing a combination of one or more accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and/or other sensors. IMUs are often used as important components for inertial navigation systems.
When used on a large machine (e.g., a truck, an articulated truck, and the like) an IMU may generate data associated with the specific location where it is placed on the machine. However, certain applications may prefer or require IMU data associated with other locations on the machine. To combat this issue, control systems for machines have utilized multiple IMUs at multiple locations on the machine to gather the required data for the applications. For example, systems and methods of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0168009 (“Multi-IMU INS for Vehicle Control”) utilize multiple IMUs in control systems to more accurately determine spatial relationships associated with a vehicle.
However, use of multiple IMUs, each at a different location and collecting data associated with each different location, may be cost prohibitive, as additional IMUs and associated devices are needed. Further, it may be difficult or even impossible to position an IMU on certain locations on machines in some situations, while the data at such locations is still desirable. Therefore, systems and methods for monitoring positioning of a machine, wherein a virtual IMU, virtually positioned at a different location from a physical IMU, can be determined based on data from the physical IMU, are desired.